Thematic Maps

1
Thematic Maps
Presentation created by Robert L.
Martinez Primary Content Source Geography Alive!
2
Thematic maps are all around us. Tune in to
a news program and youre likely to see a weather
map with high and low temperatures for towns in
your area.
3
To find your way on the local bus system, you
might use a map showing bus routes.
4
By focusing on a specific topic, or theme,
maps like these show information about some
aspect of physical or human geography.
5
Some thematic maps focus on physical
geography. For instance, they may display Earths
physical features, the natural parts of Earths
surface.
6
Such features include landforms like
mountains, valleys, plains, and plateaus.
7
Physical features also include bodies of water
such as oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes.
8
Thematic maps can also illustrate other
aspects of the physical environment. For example,
some maps focus on climate, or long-term weather
patterns.
9
Climate maps show how much rainfall
different areas receive.
10
They also show how hot or cold various places
tend to be in winter and summer.
11
Climate has a tremendous effect on the types
of vegetation, or trees and other plants, that
will grow in an area.
12
You can see this by comparing a climate map of
Earth with a vegetation map.
13
A vegetation map shows the kinds of trees and
other plants that grow in various places.
14
In many ways it looks like a climate map,
although other factors also affect what will grow
where.
15
Thematic maps can also focus on human geography.
An example is a political map.
16
Political maps of larger areas show the
borders between countries.
17
Political maps also show important cities,
such as the capitals of states and countries.
18
Another type of thematic map shows population
density. This is the average number of people
living in a unit of area, such as a square mile.
19
The higher the number the more crowded an
area is. A population density map reveals where
large numbers of people cluster.
20
Besides showing where people live, a
thematic map can show what they do. A map of
economic activity focuses on the ways people
produce, buy, and sell goods and services.
21
This kind of map might show the main types
of business and industry in an area. It might
also show the natural resources that fuel the
areas economy.
22
Natural resources are useful items found in
nature, such as wood, coal, and oil.
23
To read a thematic map, first look at a
maps title. The title usually states the topic
of the map.
24
Then look at the map legend to determine how to
read the maps symbols.
25
A map legend may also explain how the map uses
colors. For instance, a thematic map might use
colors to show differences in elevation or
population density.